City Council poised to lose veto-proof majority vote on profiling bill

Brooklyn Democrat Erik Dilan is reportedly being considered for an appointment to the New York City Board of Elections.

Losing even one vote will end the Council's chances of overriding Bloomberg's veto of the profiling bill.Credit: Reuters

The City Council may lose a crucial vote for the anti-profiling bill Mayor Michael Bloomberg vetoed last week.

Brooklyn Democrat Erik Dilan is being considered for an appointment to the New York City Board of Elections, according to the Daily News.

The bill expands the protected categories to include LGBTQ and immigrant New Yorkers, and Bloomberg has alleged it would make the city less safe for a variety of reasons, including opening up the city and the NYPD to lawsuits that would have officers stuck testifying in courtrooms instead of out on the street.

The city passed the profiling bill with 34 votes, the minimum number needed to override the mayor's veto. Losing Dilan could tank the bill, unless the bill's proponents are able to turn one of the councilmembers who voted against the bill.

Dilan was reportedly a major target in the Bloomberg administration's outreach efforts to change "yes" votes, but the councilman had previously said a change of heart is tough to come by.

"Once you go on the record as having voted for something the first time around, it's hard to change your vote without a substantial revelation of fact," Dilan said.

The embattled Board of Elections has frequently been on the receiving end of vehement criticism by the mayor and the Council alike. They recently said they may not be able to hold a runoff election two weeks after the primary in September, if one is needed.